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Thursday, May 22, 2014

I realize that I haven't done much writing due to the Pop Culture Madness tournament which took about two months too long, which may or may not have been part of my plan. With the exception of a top 10 list of the best songs by the Pixies, which you should totally check out, and the final matchup between Kel Mitchell and eventual champion Bill Murray, I haven't been using my creative genius to rag on items in pop culture. That being said, I've been keeping a list of topics I would like to address, so let's get started.

First off, when are hipsters going to start wearing brands like Ecko, Fubu, and South Pole? I'm thinking in about two years we can expect this to happen.

Not so mainstream anymore!

So Donald Sterling quickly became the most famous owner of an NBA team recently. Sweet Jesus did he make a mess of his life. This whole situation about being secretly recorded by a mistress who claims to not be a mistress has everyone somewhat confused. This V. Stiviano is possibly the most mysterious part of the whole situation. Apparently she has more aliases than a typical 1930's Chicago Mobster and was trying to get her meal ticket with this recording. Seriously, she has gone by Vanessa Maria Perez, Monica Gallegos, Maria Vanessa Perez, Maria Valdez, Mariamonica Perez Gallegos, Puff Daddy, V-String, Lefty, Lil' V With the Gimpy Leg, and Fun Dip. I'm just confused by why she settled on just V. Unless she's starring in a movie with Natalie Portman with a shaved head and wearing a mask, it's not really a good name to use out in public. What she did was good in a way because we found out Donald Sterling is a racist, but unfortunately she'll be on some awful reality game show in the near future, and try stretching out her 15 minutes of fame as long as possible. Only in America, man.

As I mentioned in a prior blog, the iPhone commercial with the Pixies song 'Gigantic' is pretty awesome. Makes me want to finally get the upgrade on my iPhone that I've had for about 18 months. I can only wonder if Apple knew just exactly what 'Gigantic' is rumored to be about.

So Solange Knowles seems to be Public Enemy number 1 in the eyes of the general public after slapping around Jay Z in an elevator and upsetting Beyonce. What is sad is that some people who really need to go outside more will probably care more about Solange being a terrible person than various dictators and Donald Sterling. This whole Beyonce craze is kind of absurd right now anyways. SURFBORT.

One ad campaign that has not been doing so well comes to us from Dominoe's. I'll tell ya, somewhere out there is an ad man who was trying to get himself fired by coming up with the "Failure IS an option" campaign, only for it to be picked up and actually used in commercials. I realize that some things in life you have to try and try again after failing, such as riding a unicycle, or shotgunning 5 Keystone Lights in 60 seconds, but I never want failure to be involved in my food, and for it to be deemed okay by the people serving it. What happens when I return my shitty tasting pizza? "Hey, these Cinnastix kinda suck." "Oh, well I can promise you that we really tried. You know, sometimes failure CAN be an option. Enjoy this coupon next time you come in." NO. This is just typical Dominoe's covering their asses for sucking. Do they want me to not be mad the next time they make my Cheesey Bread taste like a stale piece of Doublemint Gum? Failure is an option. God. I'd love to see a student try using that one on their parents. Suck it Dominoe's.

The Wu Tang Clan did something pretty interesting recently. They made an album that is truly one of a kind. Seriously. There is only one copy on this album on vinyl. And that's all there ever will be. Basically, they worked their asses off to make a 31 song double album entitled Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, and it will be toured throughout the country at museums where you can listen to it on headphones, to stop any chance of the album being leaked to the public. After this museum tour, it is being sold for (reportedly) $5 million. This now leads into the question of "If you could have one band/singer make an album JUST for you, who would it be?" Personally, I'd have trouble deciding between the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Brand New….or Rebecca Black, just to piss people off. Pretty awesome thought concept by the Wu Tang Clan to pull a stunt that has never been done before, which is rare in this day and age.

That reminds me that the Boston Calling music festival starts tomorrow (Friday). Really looking forward to seeing Brand New, Modest Mouse, Death Cab For Cutie, and the opportunity to throw some rocks at Jack Johnson. I discussed this via text with dear friend and fellow blogger Matt "Hey How Are Ya?" Rizzini, but what exactly are the odds that Brand New plays 'Logan to Government Center'? the Government Center T stop is closed for 2 years, but they're so close by, so they have to play it, right? Then again, they are not ones who really play to what the crowd wants, so maybe they'll just be oblivious and not play it at all. I'm optimistic and am going to say the odds of them playing it are 51-49. Gotta keep the faith, you guys.

Remember the 'Make 7-Up Yours' commercials? Now that was one hell of an ad campaign.

It's been good times recently for fans of emo bands who broke up 15+ years ago. Mineral decided to get back together, but more importantly, American Football decided to bring back their not-very-cheery music from the dead. I recently read an interview with the singer of American Football where he admitted he was pretty confused by the fame they've gotten over the years, considering they only played around 12 basement shows in the midwest and actually broke up before their only full length album came out. That's like Heath Ledger dying before the Dark Knight came out. Okay maybe that isn't the best analogy to use, but you know what I mean. What matters is that a bunch of unhappy kids briefly grinned for a split second upon hearing the news of Mineral and American Football reuniting for some shows during this year.

Avril Lavigne had a pretty awful music video come out for a single entitled 'Hello Kitty' where she basically took every Asian stereotype and rolled it into a video that even MTV wouldn't have played back in the mid 80's. I know it was basically career suicide for her when she married the douche from Nickelback, but this is just stupidity. The Queen of England on LSD could watch a full season of Pokemon on mute and understand it more than any sober person watching this Avril Lavigne music video.

I would now like to call to attention to the only thing that bothers me about Mad Men. I love the show, I think it is a masterpiece that can basically do no wrong. This being said, I have on issue with it. That is when they show flashback of Don Draper (Jon Hamm if you've never seen it). My problem with these flashbacks is that they use a kid to play young Don, who could not look any more unlike Jon Hamm. For the love of everything sacred did casting mess this one up! Look at that nose! You expect us to believe that this dweeb grew up, shrunk his nose and became arguably one of the most handsome men to ever walk the planet? This show once had a scene where a guy lost his foot in the office when it was run over by a drunk secretary on a John Deere lawnmower and I didn't question it, but this is just too much!

Noooope.

Oh yeah, back to Donald Sterling, the singer from one of my favorite bands, Wavves, created this pic stitch of Donald Sterling and his doppleganger, and it's pretty damn good.

Well done, Wavves.

Only Justin Bieber would move on from Brazilian prostitutes to underage high school girls.

One thing that brought me great joy recently was the picture of Macaulay Culkin wearing a tshirt of Ryan Gosling wearing a tshirt of Macaulay Culkin. My initial reaction? How the hell do I not have a tshirt of Ryan Gosling wearing a tshirt of Macaulay Culkin? The picture of Culkin wearing the shirt is pretty funny. Probably his finest work since Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Couple of weeks ago a very bored and witty Massachusetts Department of Transportation worker (who is clearly not in the proper profession) decided to make signs all over Massachusetts roads read "Use Yah Blinkah!!!". This was pretty funny stuff. What wasn't funny was that it probably got instagrammed or tweeted while driving a million times, which probably led to a bunch of accidents and maybe even some deaths. This is why we can't have nice things.

I was very disappointed recently when the Boston Bruins blew it in the playoffs and lost to those pathetic douchebags that make up the Montreal Canadiens. What was somewhat good was the fact that Bruins forward Milan Lucic went into the traditional and 'sacred' handshake line where he promptly told Canadiens forward Dale Weiss "I'm going to fucking kill you next year" with an overly firm handshake. Is this sportsmanlike? Ehhhhh. Is it awesome? Yes. I'd bet money that this is not the first time over the past 90 years that someone has said something along these lines in the handshake line, but it is the first time some cry baby has actually gone public and talk about it. The thing is, Lucic may have just been angry and didn't really mean it when he said, but now there is a very good chance that he could actually kill Dale Weiss on the ice next year, which is something to watch for next season.

Did you guys know that Spacejam.com is exactly the same as it was back in 1996? That's kind of awesome.

It occurred to me today that after 20 years I guess we can say that Kurt Cobain was in fact lying when he sang on 'Come As You Are' that he didn't have a gun.

Wrestling time: HHH has been one of the greatest wrestlers ever. Why is his weapon of choice a sledgehammer? That's a bit much in opinion. Most people go for a steel chair or a table, but HHH goes for the sledgehammer. That's a bit unfair. That's like giving Barry Bonds a metal bat while he was in the peak of his steroid use and they moved the fences in by 40 feet at the Giants ballpark.

I could be a 10 time champion if I used a sledgehammer too, man.

Finally, I guess a hologram of Michael Jackson played at the Billboard awards or something, which gives out awards to music for people who are too stupid to branch out and listen to actual good music. What a joke. The man is dead. Give it up. The only benefit of hologram Michael Jackson is that it is much safer for anyone under the age of 13 and we can probably expect an awesome South Park episode about this in the near future. Also, I hope that no one makes a hologram of me after I meet my demise in 71 years. But if someone does, I'd encourage them to put great detail into my hair, because let's face it, that's my real moneymaker.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The end is here, you guys. What a journey this has been. We started at 64 and we are now at 4 competitors left for this meaningless competition which will earn the eventual winner a whole lot of nothing. This tournament has had upsets, beatdowns, Cinderella stories and choke jobs. I've learned a lot about my own friends from their responses (I need new ones) in this tournament, and I'll be glad when it is over so I can start posting other pop-culture related material on here. Anyways, much like on the newly returned show 24, the clock is ticking on this tournament. We have made it to the Final 4, with each competitor worthy of being here. Without further ado, I'd like to get into it, but first I must take a moment to thank the judges/panelists on taking the time to vote on these two remaining match ups, so props and much respect to Dan "The Riverside Rambler" Allen, Kyle "Belt Buckle" Towne, Liz "Nails" Wroblewski, Sean "Zoinks" Mottola, Ryan "The Radiator" Urkiel, Jenna "The Crown Jewel of Chatham" Borkoski and last, but most importantly, my Mom, 'Big D'.

Sean-"Daniel Bryan was Connor the Crusher's #1 favorite wrestler. Millions of people rally around this war cry. It's just too powerful for anything Kel Mitchell does."

EDITOR'S NOTE- What Sean is referring to is this truly heartbreaking, but awesome video of Connor the Crusher, who was a terminally ill boy who got his chance to meet Daniel Bryan and make some wishes come true. This video is a tearjerker, but totally worth watching:

Jenna-"Morally, I'm torn. Out of devotion to this blog's namesake author, I want to select the YES!!! Chant automatically. But, out of respect to my nine-year-old Nickelodeon-loving self, the less famous half of Kenan and Kel deserves some consideration. Kel is a prime example of 90's kid nostalgia, even more mysterious is that he has lived virtually off the grid since Kenan beat him out for a spot on SNL. Meanwhile, Daniel Bryan's YES! Chant is a relatively new phenomenon. It's been taking the world by storm, recently, but in the years to come, will fans reflect with the same reverence given for a man who has been out of the limelight for over a decade? Because of this, I'm faced with the ultimate dilemma: do I select a seed that is a pop culture icon in the metaphorical time-capsule sort of way, or do I base my decision solely on this year in pop culture? I'm sorry Jimothys, but I need to go with my gut on this one and select Kel Mitchell based on his longevity and for perpetually saving a small business with his recipe for secret sauce."

Kyle-"The Yes! Chant has been quite the movement. But I don't know if it will be able to withstand Daniel Bryan's neck surgery and subsequent absence. That being said, Kel Mitchell wasn't really able to withstand Kenan Thompson's absence either. There is a soft spot in my heart for both of these warriors of pop culture, but my vote will be with Kel. Did you know that he tried out for SNL and was denied in favor of Kenan? Man, talk about a wrench in a friendship. I just feel like he needs the win after reading that."

Mom-"Well, I would have said Kel because I like him and think that wrestler is really homely looking, but after watching that YES chant video I must give my vote to the wrestler. "

Dan-"Kel Mitchell burst into America's hearts the way Mark Prior did in Wrigleyville. With good breaking balls and good burgers, both men were phenoms at their crafts; seemingly unstoppable on their projected meteoric rise to the top. Unfortunately, Kel and Mark Prior's UCL decided to burn out rather than fade away. More than a decade has passed since the debuts and over time, people have grown nostalgic (how Kel hasn't appeared in a Fanta ad is insane). As more and more time slips away, we will all look back at how entertaining Kel Mitchell was. YES! on the other, is in a rough spot. Your friend and mind, Daniel Bryan, suffered a neck injury recently. Fun fact about the neck: it connects the head to everything else. With Daniel Bryan's head not quite in line with his body, it becomes very challenging for him to start chanting. It's a tough injury this late in the pop culture bracket, but these things happen when a March Madness-style bracket is still going on in mid May. In a stunner, Kel Mitchell advances to the finals. I feel weird just writing that. Truthfully, I think Kel kind of sucks. BUT a healthy actor from my childhood will always beat the crippled, decrepit mess of a wrassler with a neck injury."

Liz-"Kel Mitchell."

Urk-"Yes Chant beats Kel only because I want to set up a heartbreaking defeat for the Yes Chant in the Finals. It will be like when the Rangers and the Bruins both win their game 7's, make the Eastern Conference Finals and the Rangers take home the victory."

WINNER: Kel Mitchell, 4-3. God dammit you guys. Hate to see the YES!!! Chant fall, but Kel is a worthy winner. This victory proves that no matter what era, year, time it is, nothing stacks up to the 90's. Nothing. Since this is the most promising thing to happen to Kel Mitchell's career in a while, I would like to state "AWWWW HERE IT GOES!".

Jason Bourne vs. Bill Murray

Nice Haircut, Nerd.

Sean-"Bill Murray almost survived a zombie apocalypse by himself. Bill Murray can also eradicate ghosts. Basically he transcends time and space."

Mom-"Bill Murray because he is such a classic (although people of your age might disagree) but since it's Double Nickles Donna that was doing the voting, I must go with Mr. Bill."

Jenna-"This matchup was much easier for me. Applying the same reasoning to the first match of the Final Four, Bill Murray is my choice to take on Kel Mitchell in the final. Murray is a beloved American, entertaining individuals throughout his decades-long career. In years to come, Americans will still revere Caddyshack (just to name one of his many outstanding films), but will the Jason Bourne novels and films have the same cultural impact? I don't think so. My apologies, JB--maybe next year."

Dan-"Fake bad-assery opposed to real life perfection. I want to go on record right now and state that Bill Murray easily wins this tournament. Newspaper headline: 'Bourne runs of out TP vs. BM.' Jason Bourne filled a void while Jack Bauer was on a 2-year tequila bender (Cuervo?). Now that Bauer is back to make the most of his 24 hour day, Bourne is redundant. Between PBR pants and urban legends that you'd never believe, Bill Murray (ghost)busts into the finals."

Kyle-"I'm going with Bill Murray and it's not even close. It's like George Mason vs. Florida back in 2006. Pretty cool Final Four run for Jason Bourne, but he's getting smacked up every day of the week by Bill Murray."

Liz-"Jason Bourne."

Urk-"Bill Murray wins because Jason Bourne isn't even on the same level as Jack Bauer and he still somehow made the finals."

Well, well, well. I don't think anyone was surprised that Jason Bourne got bounced. He might've had the easiest route to a Final Four ever, and his weakness showed in his shellacking by Bill Murray. What a doozy we had between Kel Mitchell and the YES!!! Chant. New school vs. Old school in the realms of pop culture, and the Old school won a tight one. Get well soon, Daniel Bryan. Now, here we are, the championship for the 1st Annual Breakfast at Jimothy's Pop Culture Madness Tournament.

Kel Mitchell vs. Bill Murray.

The point of this tournament is much like the heralded sitcom 'Seinfeld'. Nothing. Nothing about this tournament makes sense. Why was Ryan Gosling facing off against Tandem Bicycles? No idea. This tournament is basically a big fun waste of time. No one gets a trophy here. Bill Murray and Kel Mitchell will never know that they are facing each other in a championship on a blog. This whole things means nothing, and that is why I love it. It is now time for yours truly, to take the two competitors remaining, and decide which one will be the champion.

Kel Mitchell- Kel, Kel, Kel. Where to begin. You were a staple of my childhood, along with millions of others who grew up in the golden age of television: 90's Nickelodeon. I think I can speak on behalf of everyone and say that you were the real star, with Kenan as your somewhat less crazy counterpart. You were the funnier one, and in all honesty, seemed like you'd have the brighter future of the two. The fact that Amanda Bynes is more relevant than you is utterly disturbing. Every time I see Orange Soda, I think of you. Dan Allen made a great point earlier on when he said that it is insane how you haven't inked an endorsement deal with Fanta or Sunkist. Is your agent on drugs or something?

I don't know what happened with you and Kenan on SNL, but I can only imagine that you were extremely sick during your tryout and it had a lasting impact on your tryout and things didn't work out well. In a perfect world, you should be on SNL doing skits about topics like politics and the Kardashians and starring in Digital Shorts about dicks in boxes or lazy sundays and the like. The possibilities of you portraying Kanye West, Barack Obama and Kevin Hart is amazing, and I'm hoping you one day get a second chance with SNL. You are a hero of the 90's, but what have you done for me lately? It's never good for your career when the most relevant thing about you were fake rumors of your untimely demise, and realizing you were in a commercial for Sprite after doing some looking on the Google machine. You provided us with classic scenes and memories through the Kenan and Kel Show, All That, Good Burger and other Nickelodeon shows. Remember 'Figure It Out'? You were brilliant on that with the likes of Lori Beth Denberg and making Summer Sanders laugh mid-question. Glory days, man. You brought joy into the lives of 90's kids, and you will forever be adored by all of us. You may be out of your prime, but you're not done yet in this tournament, and life, I guess. You have certainly earned your spot in the world that is Pop Culture.

Bill Murray- The timeless warrior. I don't know where to really start. I think my first experience with getting to know Bill Murray is also my personal favorite: Caddyshack. Bill Murray helped make that movie, and he's basically a character just thrown in the mix. It amazed me when years later I learned that Murray, as Carl, had no lines written for him, and he just made it all up on the fly. That sort of things stuns me. His appearance in Space Jam (thinking back on it now, maybe Space Jam was actually my first time seeing Bill Murray) was legendary, and he was a contributor in the defeat of the Monstars, helping Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing and (most importantly) Charles Barkley regain their talent.

Even outside of movies, this man is a legend. He is a beloved figure on the popular website The Chive, which sells some pretty sweet tshirts of his face, helping to keep him relevant, although he didn't really need the help. What I like most about Bill Murray is his ability to be himself, anywhere. Bill Murray does his own thing, and just doesn't care. I respect that. He beats to his own drum, wears his facial hair in weird ways every now and then, owns PBR pants, umbrella hats and other unique items, because he can. All of us should try to be as confident and legendary as Bill Murray.

THE VERDICT: This is tough, as both competitors are definitely worthy of the title. As much as I was pulling for the YES!!! Chant, I knew who the eventual winner of this tournament would be, and that is Bill Murray.

'Hope.'

Kel put up a great fight, and I was pleasantly surprised that the panelists gave him as much love as he did, but in the end, this was Bill Freakin' Murray's tournament. The thing is, Bill Murray is still doing his thing. The Grand Budapest Hotel features our beloved Bill, and that seems like a real winner (classic Wes Anderson, man). Sprite commercials and death hoaxes can only help out a man like Kel so much. I don't know why Kel Mitchell hasn't had any opportunities lately in Hollywood, but the fact is that he should. I honestly hope Kel isn't done with acting, because anyone who has seen him perform knows he is super talented and naturally funny. As for Mr. Murray, his career is a hundred times more impressive than Kel, and he is more beloved than Kel. If Bill Murray walks into a bar, EVERYONE there should offer that man a drink. Finally, a lot of this comes down to the fact that Bill Murray is beloved for being true to himself wherever he goes, and that's impressive. It takes balls to wear some of the stuff he does and do the things he does, but he doesn't care, and he gets laughs from people. In a world where you flip on the news and instantly become depressed, you can always turn to Bill Murray for laughter. The world would be a much better place if everyone lived their lives like Bill and didn't worry about what other people think. Bill Murray is a true icon, both in life and in pop culture, and for that, he is the 1st ever Breakfast at Jimothy's Pop Culture Madness Tournament Champion. Well done, Bill. Drinks are one me.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

The Pixies are one of the most influential bands of all time. Period. Whether you know them from 'Where Is My Mind?' which played at during the final scene of Fight Club, or the recent iPhone commercial featuring various musicians (and even a marching band) covering 'Gigantic', this is a band worth knowing. Kurt Cobain wasn't shy of talking about the influence they had on him, which is kind of a big deal. A few months ago there was all this talk about who is on the 'Mount Rushmore' of the NBA which led to various other 'Mount Rushmore' discussions, but if there is an indie music Mount Rushmore, the Pixies are certainly up there with Arcade Fire (guaranteed after that Grammy win) and 2 other bands out of many which can be an argument on this blog for another day. Since they are from Boston and recently released their first album since I was 14 months old, I've decided to compile my list of the top 10 songs by the Pixies.

10. Caribou (Come On Pilgrim, 1987)- This is one song that could easily be at the very opening of a movie to really set a mood. It has a somewhat unsure start to it and eventually builds into almost an adventurous sort of beat. I also always liked the somewhat eerie wailing each time 'Caribouuuuu' is sung.

9. Snakes (Indie Cindy, 2014)- The guitars in this song basically cleared away any doubts people had about whether or not the Pixies still had it after not releasing an album in 23 years. It is somewhat of a statement song in the fact that it showcases that there is no rust, and that also that the Pixies didn't rush their comeback album like some bands do (Strokes, Taking Back Sunday). This song is still new and isn't quite a classic yet, but I felt that it should make this list. Also, A++++++ on the music video. A bit creepy but definitely interesting.

8. Break My Body (Surfer Rosa, 1988)- I really don't know if this is the proper terminology since I'm not a musician, but the only term I think fits this song is raw. I always thought it was a bit disturbing when there is a line 'I'm a building jumper, roof to roof you see me flying in the air' when the chorus is 'Break my body, hold my bones, hold my bones'. It just doesn't seem like a happy ending for the building jumper, which always puts the notion of a daredevil who met his unfortunate demise in my head when I hear it.

7. Wave of Mutilation (Doolittle, 1989)- Hey it's that song from Rock Band!!! Man I miss that game and the sweet plastic drum set. Moving on, this song almost has a cheery feel to it even though it's a song about mutilation, which is as far from a cheery subject as possible. This song always stood out to me when it came to drums. I just feel like the drums are prominent in this more so than other Pixies song which I think most people associate with guitars and the back and forth between male and female voices in songs. Wave of Mutilation shows that sometimes disturbing topics can be fun in music. Also was a fitting a choice to name their greatest hits album after.

6. Here Comes Your Man (Doolittle, 1989)- For a while I often wondered if this song was a cover from an old doo-wop song. This song just seems so different from other Pixies songs with that 1950's feel to it, but it is so damn catchy. Kim Deal's backing vocals make a big difference in this song and I think it kinda showcases how important she was to the Pixies. I think this is the most pop-y of all Pixies songs.

5. Dig For Fire (Bossanova, 1990)- This song certainly fits in the weird early 90's indie-pop scene. This song stands out as it's about an old woman and an old man looking for purpose as time marches on for them. In a way it puts optimism into a somewhat bleak idea of getting older and asking yourself "what now?" Dig For Fire is a softer Pixies song than most, which also helps make it stand out, but it is still catchy as all hell.

4. Holiday Song (Come On Pilgrim, 1987)- I always liked how this song has a sort of Spanish flair to it, which the Pixies have used on different occasions. This also has some classic Black Francis wailing/screaming in it. It's shorter and a bit more compact but it works in that sense because it makes you wish there was another minute or two of it remaining every time it ends.

3. Where Is My Mind? (Surfer Rosa, 1988)- By far the essential Pixies song due to it's popularity. That slow, soft intro that morphs into a kind of simple drum beat and easy guitar sound is iconic now this song is over 25 years old. Those distinctive oooooooooh's give it a Pixies trademark but also gives it a eerie feel that something may be off, in the best way imaginable. SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN FIGHT CLUB, THIS IS A WARNING, DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED: this might be the most fitting song in a movie scene, ever. As buildings blow up across the skyline and Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter hold hands and watch all the chaos ensue, hearing 'Where Is My Mind?' really wraps up the end of the movie with the whole split personality thing. The Narrator/Tyler Durden really has no idea where his mind is, but he accomplished Tyler Durden's goals, even if the Narrator knows it's not good.

2. Gigantic (Surfer Rosa, 1988)- This song is simplistic in terms of a theme, as it's pretty clear it's about an interracial relationship (and perhaps a certain part of the male anatomy), but that opening bass line and laid back voice of Kim Deal's voice telling a story is amazing. It hooks you in real quick and then the song kicks into a good ol' fashioned rock song. It's almost like a rollercoaster ride of calm and then intense, but it works out so well together, which makes it special in my own opinion. Also, this song is 26 years old and is currently in a new 90 second ad for an iPhone, showing that it is still relevant today and shouldn't be ignored by all people who enjoy awesome music.

1. Debaser (Doolittle, 1989)- This is one of those songs that I could listen to on repeat for days on end and never get sick of it. I love the tempo and the backing vocals of Kim Deal closely echoing (almost not letting Black Francis finish at times) 'debaser' throughout the song. The drumming by David Lovering is on point and the guitar is catchy as all hell and is there throughout the whole song. I think this showcases Joey Santiago as an amazing guitarist. It has everything in this song, from a opening bass line, some subtle screaming, it's ability to be catchy, and the back and forth of a guy and girl singing. I am a firm believer that this song represents the Pixies in the right manner: one of the best bands ever.